The Real Folk Blues: Revised
by SNK1
Summary: After session 26. Three years later, Faye has been working at a barclub for some time now to support her remaining Bebop family, Jet, the returning Ed, and Ein. She performs a song and a tribute at the bar and a shadowy man watches her in the dark.
1. The End is Never The End

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or anything that is associated with it. Except this fanfic, that is!

Faye had gotten a job of being a singer down at a local bar on Mars. She had thought of getting a job to help support herself, Jet, and Ed and Ein who had come back after realizing how lonely it was without the Bebop crew.

The job paid fairly well; 15 million woolongs a week. Not bad, if it helped support the Bebop that is. She sang the blues, with jazzy tunes as background. Jet would sometimes come down to check on her if she was okay. He had been caring for her for the past 3 years since that other man died. That man died long ago.

"Bartender, I'll have a beer, thanks." Jet told the bartender as he walked into the bar Faye worked at. It was a pretty clean place; in fact, it didn't let sketchy looking guys in, so Jet didn't worry for Faye's safety as much as usual.

He glanced around on stage for Faye when the curtain was raised up and he saw that Faye was on-stage. "Hello and welcome to the Starlight Bar!" Announced a man by Faye's side. Jet walked up to the stage quickly and spoke with Faye. "Hey, Faye. How are you?" Jet asked. She gave him a smile. "I'm fine. Don't worry too much about me." She replied. He gave her a slight smile and went back to a table near the stage.

"This evening, Ms. Valentine will be performing a song based off the blues! Please enjoy, everyone." The announcerwent off-stageafter he announced this. The spotlight focused on Faye. The shimmer from her dress was elegant. Beautiful.

She sang in a strong softened voice-

_The real folk blues.   
__I only want to know true sadness.   
__Life in a muddy river isn't so bad...   
__After it ends for the first time.   
__A despair filled with hope,   
__And this chance that has a trap set out for it...   
__What's wrong and what's right?   
__It's like two sides of a coin..._

_Wonder how long I must live on before I am healed?_

_The real folk blues.   
__I only want to know true happiness   
__All that glitters is not gold..._

Faye's slightly sorrow-ridden voice danced like stars with this song. Jet could almost tell that this was no regular song; she was speaking her feelings.

Faye stepped off-stage to Jet's table and sat down in a chair next to him whe she finished a got some time to prepare for the next performance in several minutes. "That... was beautiful, Faye," Jet said. "You think so...?" She let out a giggle. Jet's tone got soft and quiet. "And I know that you know...that your song was no ordinary song." Faye's eyes gleamed at this statement. "Yes, yes Jet. That was more than usual." She told him quietly.

"I'm sorry, Faye. You know I don't want you to get hurt anymore." Jet's voice always reassured her when she was troubled. She was happy for the last 3 years with Jet, Ed, and Ein on the Bebop. She had grown to care about them. She didn't want any other kind of life. Not ever, not now.

Jet stood up from the table. "It's time to get the bounty hunting done. I'm heading home." Faye nodded to him. "Okay, I'll meet you later." Jet took a last look at her and gave a little laugh. "See you, Romani!" Faye smiled to herself. Her old title. Romani. Now she was REALLY like a true gypsy searching for love. Oh, yes.

"Now," The announcer began, "Ms. Valentine shall tell us about someone she knew that was important to her. Whenever you are ready, Miss." Her told her. Faye walked up to the stage. This part of work was hard. Speaking about someone she once knew. She told them about all of her "family" on the Bebop. Except for... him.

She cleared her throat and began.

"I once knew a cowboy. He was... well, cocky, overconfident, and... bright. A real charming cowboy. That was how I thought of him once upon a time. He was carefree, didn't care much about things, but I wouldn't call him heartless. Maybe that's what really could make you trust him, his heart. He's a bit... sarcastic now and then, but deep down, you know you can trust him with those gentle eyes and reaffirming smile. But as they say, easy come, easy go." Faye choked a bit and masked it quickly.

It wasn't easy talking about someone who had been "dead" for 3 years. It hurt her. But she continued.

"Then after awhile, after I spent some time living with the cowboy and his "pals", I began to think of them as family. I had no one that was a known living relative, and I thought I found a family in these outlaws. I gained something I lost long ago." She finished.

Pain took her over. It was too hard to speak about the cowboy she once thought of as family. But she masked her emotions on-stage. The audience looked blankly at her. Her speech was moving. A few people were crying. It was too much, but the next question for Faye would be even harder.

"Excuse me Miss Valentine, but what was the bounty hunter's name?" A man asked from a back table. She choked saying his name. "His name was... Spike Spiegel." She said to the crowd in the bar.

They truly were moved by this tribute to this man. Everyone felt something for her. It was saddening. But one man by the bar seats didn't look as if any emotion took him over. He was tall, lanky looking, actually. Blue suit, puffy moss green hair. Two mismatched deep hazel eyes took along look at this Faye Valentine. A familiar smirk was plastered on his face as he watched from his seat, the woman he'd known before. He still knew her now. Just in a different light.

Still reeling from pain, Faye asked her manager if she could go home for 4 hours. Being kind, her boss let her go. Faye walked out the door to her ship, Redtail. And away from her view was a ship that she couldn't see behind the building. A spray-painted pink ship. Old, yet a fast looking ship.

And standing in the doorway to the bar was the man in the blue suit, watching her from afar. She took off, and he didn't follow.She didn't notice him at all.He directed his gaze toward the dying sunset. "I'll see you soon space cowgirl." He said with a smile.

A/N: What did you think? I don't know if I should continue. If you want me to, just review, but if you REALLY want me to continue, at least provide a persuasive review! Thanks, and as it has been said...

See you space cowboys...


	2. One Soul and His Infinite Regrets

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or anything associated with it.

A/N: From this chapter down, I'm going to put little preview paragraphs/sentences of what'll be in the next chapter/s! I hope that'll give you a peek at what's in store.

Faye had come home to the Bebop to rest, her memories were picking at her mind. _One eye's a fake because I lost it in an accident. I'm just watching a dream I'll never wake up from. I'm not going there to die, I'm going there to see if I'm really alive. _

"I can't stop thinking of him, wondering what happened to him… I want to forget! I don't want to remember ANYTHING about that damned cowboy!" Faye screamed to herself. She wandered the halls of the Bebop, looking around every now and then. Then she came across a certain room.

'Spike's room…' Faye thought to herself as she opened the door to see what it was like inside. She never knew since Spike was a bit of a loner sometimes. It was simple- bed, dresser, closet, ceiling fan, TV like the one in the living room. But there was something unusual on the dresser. Faye stepped toward it and gasped.

A photo of the whole gang, on the Swordfish II no less. Spike in the cockpit, Ed on top of the ship, Jet on the edge of the ship, Ein in the front, and Faye herself near the cockpit. "Those were the good days. Plenty of bounties, and the lunkhead to help out." She said to herself. "I miss him…"

As she exited Spike's room, she noticed a clock on the wall and jumped. "Oh damnit! I have to get ready!" She said. She spent about 3 of her hours from work going around Mars. The rest around the Bebop.

As she hopped into her ship, Redtail and flew to Mars, she noticed a shine from a MONO- carrier in the distance. It was colored… PINK? "Spike?!" Faye took another look again, but the ship had gone. "Was I imagining that?" Faye asked herself in wonder. "I'm losing it…" She mumbled as she headed towards Mars.

If things had gotten any worse than "seeing" a pink ship similar to the Swordfish, Faye was going to be even more shocked.

Her boss greeted her at the front door as she entered. "Hello Faye. I see you've come back, but you can take the rest of the day off if you'd like. Or you could stay here for a while." Faye smiled. "Thanks." She took a seat at a table in the back of the bar and watched the performances on the stage.

And someone was watching her. The same man from yesterday that was so familiar. 'I won't reveal myself. Not yet. Not now. How much more pain can you face if I appear to you?' The man thought.

Jet had come to the bar to rest from the bounty and saw Faye at her table. "Faye!" He took a seat at the table and ordered a beer. "Are you okay? Is everything all right?" Jet asked. Faye's eyes avoided his. "Yeah, everything's fine." Jet stared at her. "Anyway, how was the bounty?" Faye asked. "Fair. Easy to catch. Had a bit of a gun battle, but hell, he was easy. Only 5 million woolongs." Jet replied.

"I see." Faye answered. She was quiet; she really wasn't focusing at the subject at hand. She was thinking of Spike. 'Faye… Faye… Faye…' A masculine voice filled her mind. "Spike?!?!?!" Jet was giving her a concerned look. "Faye, what's wrong?" She relaxed and answered, "Nothing. I thought I heard…" "Spike?" He finished for her. "Yeah…"

"I think we should leave, it's getting late." Jet said. Faye stood from her seat. "Sure." They both walked to the parking lot. "Jet, go ahead of me. I'm going to take some time and wander around." Jet's face showed her that he didn't want her to, but he nodded. "Be careful, okay?" He said. Faye gave him a nod and as she was about to get into Redtail, a voice came from behind her. "Hello, Miss Valentine." She turned to see one person she'd missed yet never wanted to see again. "Spike!!" He smirked. "Why are you here?! You're supposed to be dead!!" Faye screeched at him. She was too angry to be happy to see him. If she was happy, she'd probably hug him. But she was pissed off.

She drew a hand and tried punching him in the face, but he blocked with a hand. "Well, someone's pissed off." Faye's eyes hardened. "WHY ARE YOU SURPRISED?!" Her roar made Spike back off a little. "Hm, if you're that pissed, would Jet be as pissed as you are at me?" Spike asked. Faye turned away. "Probably not. He'd welcome you like a lost son, or whatever. Hell, you'd be like that story in Earth's bible; The Prodigal Son. EXCEPT YOU'RE NOT A SON TO ME, MORE LIKE TO JET!" She sneered back.

Spike's eyes narrowed, but not as if he were angry with her. "Obviously, you clearly don't want me back." Spike said. Faye's eyes looked like there was a fire burning inside them. "I SURE AS HELL don't want you back in my life! You left us three goddamn years ago!" She said back.

"Jesus Christ, Faye. Are you that honestly mad at me… on the surface?" Spike asked. Faye turned to face him. She calmed down. "I am angry at you on the surface. I'm not at the core." She replied. Spike was taken slightly aback. She revealed emotion to him 3 years ago by telling him not to go. Now she did it again by speaking her feelings instead of showing them.

"I hate you. Almost completely. But that shouldn't imply that I don't like you to be around. But you died three years ago. You aren't alive." Faye said quietly. Still, Spike caught it. "If I weren't alive, would I be able to do _this_?" Spike leaned up against her. 'What the-?' Faye thought. 'Why is he kissing me?! What the hell is he doing!?' She tried to pull away from him gently, she didn't want to hurt him.

Spike was REALLY being out of character for his normal self. He pulled her closer to him instead. Faye tried again to pull away. She finally gave in after a bit and Spike let her go. He gazed into her eyes and backed her against the wall. "Hate me. Hate me as much as you want to. Give me all your true hate for me, Faye. I know you're not happy to see me and happy at the same time…" Faye was stunned. 'What is he saying?' She thought as he walked away from her towards his ship.

She collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Damn you, cowboy…" She uttered as Spike watched her fall. Pity took over him for a second then he masked it, before Faye could see it. "I'll see you again… on the Bebop." He said before flying off into the Martian skies. Faye turned to the Swordfish as he departed. "Spike… why are you still with us?"

PREVIEW:

"Do you realize how bad your absence since three years ago has affected her? Damnit Spike! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE? You're like a brother to her and I suppose seeing someone she _loved_ come, go, and come back again is heartwarming. You're thick enough to pull off a stunt like that. Work for the dead and long forgotten and departed, never work for someone who probably, REALLY AND TRULY CARED FOR YOU, LOOKED AFTER YOU. Stop hurting her, she's had ENOUGH and so have I." Jet said as Spike looked down at the ground in guilt and sorrow; his body shaking slightly and a clenched fist giving away what he was feeling, two emotions he never showed before.

A/N: What do you think? I think I did badly on this one, not as good as the first. If you guys still want me to go on, review and I'll think about it. Thanks to all my reviewers too! (BTW, I realize that the preview paragraph has a few points taken from a previous fanfic of mine and sorry if I sound repetitive. And I am sorry for delaying so long, I know some of you have been waiting forever.)

See you cowboys (and you guys are great; you give inspiration with your reviews.)


	3. A Warm and Cold Reunion

Disclaimer: I not own CB or anything associated with it.

A/N: From the paragraph preview from the last chapter, I edited it a bit. Not that big a change.

_The year is 2074. The remaining crew of the ship known as BEBOP have broken the traditional styles and created new dreams and films to be remembered. They have played freely without fear of risky things and have gone past the expectations and received recognition. Now it will happen again, as the rest of the former crew return to help break the old ways to create a new story to play out. The new work, which will become another genre itself will be called… COWBOY BEBOP: THE REAL FOLK BLUES REVISED._

_A cold ally on Mars. 4 young gangsters with a dangerous motive… "Aaaaarrrghhh!" Spike grunted in pain as the young boy delivered a forceful punch to his stomach. "Haha!! Do you feel any pain yet, Spike Spiegel?!" The young man laughed once more before commanding two of his group's members to hold Spike down. "What the hell do you want from me?!" Spike demanded angrily with a note of pain in his voice. "I see you're hurting. Hahaha. You see Spike, we want to take revenge for what you've done to bounty heads over the years. We've been given a thumbs-up by a majority of the bounties you and your demented crew put in the cells throughout the solar system to cause eternal pain to you and all your pathetic comrades."_

_Spike glared with fear starting to creep up in his spine as the group's leader continued. "We'll cause great pain to you…" "How so?" Spike replied. The leader had a vicious grin across his face. "We shall force you to do it… With BLOODY EYE! You see, I wish to see you be driven to mindless insanity... It would put me at ease to see you like that." Spike's fear kicked in and he struggled against the two boys holding him down to the ground. "KILL THEM! RIP THEM ALL APART, SPIKE!!" "GO TO HELL!" "Too late, you'll kill them as we say! Especially your… beloved Faye!" Spike struggled once more. "Leave her out of this!" "Not likely, Spike." "I'm so sorry, Spike...." That cold familiar voice and that soft voice of a woman jolted Spike's mind and reawakened memories that should've stayed gone. "What the-?! Vic… Julia?!?! Arrghh…AAAAAAARRRGGGGGGHHH!" A great roar tore through that quiet dark night and blood splattered in the wake…_

"FAYE!" Spike sat up, cold coursing through him. "What the hell was that dream about…" He wondered before Jet and Faye burst in his room. "What happened Spike?" Jet asked, half of his usual concern in his voice. "Nothing." Faye gave him a look. "We heard you screaming. That's in NOT just "nothing", and you know it." Spike looked at Faye a bit darkly. Faye had to notice. "Spike…?" He didn't reply but instead looked off as if he were awake in a dream.

"Jet," Faye whispered to the old man, "What do you think is up with him?" Jet looked at Spike. "I have no clue. Looks like he saw a phantom or something." Faye backed away, and thought to herself. _A… a phantom? No, not them? _There was an uneasy silence before Jet broke the quiet. "Spike," Spike looked a bit more awake at his name, "I want to talk to you."

"Sure. Give me a sec." Jet nodded before leaving Faye and Spike to themselves. "You sure you're all right, Spike?" He gave her a cocky smile. "Of course. Not like I'm about to die… again." A sudden wisp of memory of the dark-faced Spike in the hangar on that faithful day and coldness ran through Faye at his somewhat heartless words. "Spike, I'm just worried. That's all. Can't you at least accept that?" Faye replied shakily with a hint of frustration. "Hm." He nodded her off before getting up and going outside his room to see a stern faced Jet staring at him.

"So, Jet, what is it?" Jet took a deep breath; this wasn't going to be easy to say, but he knew what must be said. "Spike, listen to me… "

Faye listened and watched silently from a corner as Jet began to speak. The old man took another deep breath. "Do you realize how bad your absence since three years ago has affected her? Damnit Spike! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE? You're like a brother to her and I suppose seeing someone she _loved_ come, go, and come back again is heartwarming. You're thick enough to pull off a stunt like that. Work for the dead and long forgotten and departed, never work for someone who probably, REALLY AND TRULY CARED FOR YOU, LOOKED AFTER YOU. Stop hurting her, she's had ENOUGH and so have I. You're lucky enough that I'm willing to have you back up here, because I picked mercy for you over knowing what I should've done for half of what would've been right for Faye." Jet said as Spike looked down at the ground in guilt and sorrow; his body shaking slightly and a clenched fist giving away what he was feeling, two emotions he never showed before. Although Jet was usually the calm, levelheaded type, all of his anger and frustration came out in what seemed to Spike like a death-sentence. _Someone shoot me. I know what I did. And I expected to finally be dead. Hell, Jet can shoot me. Faye... No, she'd never pull the trigger at me. Me of all people... _Spike thought to himself.

Faye cried from the corner, painful memories, hatred, sadness, and more taking over. But somehow, she had let go of most of her hate, just relieved to see Spike back and alive.Her crying caught both of the men's ears.Spike turned to the corner where she was eavesdropping with a pitiful frown. Jet turned. "Faye!!" He looked a bit shocked to find her listening the whole time. "I…" She cut him off quickly. _Too quickly, _Spike observed. "It's all right Jet… I'm heading out for an hour or so." "Faye…" She smiled before dashing off to the hangar. "Don't worry about it." With a nod, he let her go off as Spike walked off to the one of the ship's large, empty storage rooms to take his mind off Faye with some training.

"Spike." He turned to Jet. "What is it?" "Don't bother her if you don't need to." Spike gave a slow nod then continued to walk off to the empty storage room.

As Spike trained to clear up his fogged up head, flashbacks raced in him. _Jet and Spike's supposed final conversation. Faye breaking down in front of him and firing off all her shots into the air. The syndicate HQ being ruined from explosives and gunfire. Vicious dying from a shot to the heart. Syndicate members staring in surprise. "Bang…" ISSP cleaning the syndicate's trashed HQ. A hospital_. _A doctor saying words faintly- "Infection… clean… knife... damaged stomach… slit knee…_ _A daring escape to freedom, and memories of the past finally washing gently away… _Spike snapped at the memory of the words the doctor said. "I honestly don't know how I can still be alive. Someone up there must really be watching over me."

Two hours later, Faye returned to the Bebop. Jet wasn't around the living room. _Wonder where he is... Oh well. _She dismissed the subject and passed the storage room that Spike was aptly training in. Without making noise she managed to get in. She noted that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Nothing exactly new, but she blushed. _Ugh, where IS that lunkhead's modesty?! I'm… blushing?!_

Spike paused as he noticed Faye walk in… blushing, no less. He had to smirk at her. "It's not like you haven't seen me like this before, you know. I wonder why you're blushing now, all of a sudden." Faye walked towards him as she replied. "Been a while. Things change. You know that." "Yeah. Right. Something more Faye?" Spike was toying with her?

As Faye walked up to Spike, she noticed a rather long scar running over his chest. "What…" Spike had a half-smirk plastered on him. "Vicious." Her eyes widened in fear. "HIM?" "Yeah." And you lived?!" "Why not?" "No reason…" "Sure." "Why didn't you come back to us?" Spike turned his back to her. "Well, the ISSP thought I was dead but more like on theedge of death. So they stuck me in a hospital's revival chamber for seriously injured patients. Well, hell, I wasn't dead but people like them don't bother to check. Being there for a year was pure torture by itself. So I cracked myself out of there, found Swordfish, and roamed around a bit to get familiar with things again. Then I happened to come across the bar you were working at. I came by everyday, actually." Faye spoke up. "And you never even bothered to say hello?" "I wanted to wait out more time. Then you gave that charming little tribute to me, and I decided I'd better say SOMETHING…" He paused. "Always looking after you without saying anything would be a sin, wouldn't you agree?""…." _Looking… after me…?_ "You sure seemed pretty happy until you were… forced to talk about me. I had a bit of remorse. Then again, it's not like me." Faye had been staring at him for the last five minutes in shock at his "drama" story.

After an extended period of silence, Spike turned to Faye, leaning against the wall crying a river. "You made me worry… Jet and I both were. We knew you'd never come back alive. Jet cared for me for the past few years. Then you come back to life, at an uninvited time, leaving me in shock and Jet in half-furry… What in God's name is wrong with you Spike!?" Faye shook rigorously. Apparently she wasn't sure what to feel; anger, happiness, or something else. Spike took a few seconds to think of his reply. "You really were worried. An apology isn't enough, is it, Faye?" "Ap-apology?!" "Yes...." "Are you joking, Spike?" "No, not really." "Spike, nothing can or will undo a past or something that has already happened. You, of all people who've seen death should know that." "Of course..." Faye gave in. No point in being pissed off forever. At Spike at least.

Faye took a minute to think. "Just promise me one thing." Spike looked up. "And what would that be? I don't guarantee anything." "Don't do anything dangerous anymore… we need you here…" "I'll think about it. But… Faye, you know what will come out of what I did. They'll never stop coming after me. I'll be hunted until the syndicate falls down completely." "I know that… I just don't want to see you get injured anymore. Do I look like I can take anymore from so many years? Do I? Be honest." Spike almost showed that same emotion when he listened to the earful from Jet before swiftly covering it up with a trademark smirk. "No, I suppose not… But perhaps. You're stronger than anyone should take you for. I've got slaps and busted ears from you to prove it."

Faye nearly let out a giggle from Spike's light sarcastic remark. _I have got to stop acting like easy prey to Spike's sarcasm before I break down again,_ Faye thought. Spike noticed and gave her a smile. "You haven't given in to my charm yet, Faye?" _He sounded like he was serious!! _Faye blushed a deep shade of red. "Whatever. Do you think I'd ever want to be with you, of all the other cute, charming, and totally sweet guys in the galaxy?" Spike's jaw dropped. "You just said… 'out of all the other cute, charming, and totally sweet guys in the galaxy'. Do you _realize _what you meant?" Not only did his jaw drop in amazement that Faye would miss such a small thing in her own words, but also becauseof the selection of words she used.Faye realized what she said and clamped her mouth shut as she watched Spike laugh awkwardly with a cigarette in his lips.

Spike gave Faye a flashy half smirk-half smile and spoke. "Didn't know you thought of me as 'cute, charming, and sweet' Faye. Thanks, at least someone's got the courage to say that."Spike went offlaughing again.Faye's eye twitched in embarrassment. "Over my dead body." She mumbled. Spike's eyes went glassy. "Over MY dead body." Faye stared at him in surprise. He seemed to be making an awful lot of references to long ago. "Spike? What's up with you?" Faye asked cautiously. Spike's eyes went back to normal and he replied. "Nothing." He dropped the cigarette from his mouth and crushed it with his bare foot. "It's nothing but an old phrase to me."

Spike finished his training and Faye walked off to the Bebop's deck. Spike followed along, for whatever reason. As they stepped out, the dying sunset greeted them. Faye took a sigh stared out towards the horizon. "Nothing to loose." Gray-toned memories went off in her mind-

_Jet came from around the corner to see Faye leaning against the wall of the dark cold hallway with tears dripping to the floor where a rose has been dropped. She looked up, her eyes full of tears and emotion. "Oh, Jet…" He gave her a gentle look. "He's dead isn't he…?" Jet's eyelids dropped a bit and he couldn't look Faye in the eye. "They found his body. Knife in the shoulder, split knee, slashed stomach, gunshot wound to the arm… He's gone, Faye." Faye's heart sank like Titanic in despair. "…Jet!" She rushed up to his side in a hug. "Uh…" She looked up at him with sad eyes, looking like a child that had been left alone for years. 'She has no one left to take care of her. I guess it's just me, now.' He thought as Faye cried over Spike's cold farewell to her and his death. "Damn you, Spike Spiegel… Damn you everything!" Were her final words as Jet held on to support her and look towards a grim future without Spike around to be there…_

**_See You Space Cowboy…_ **

A/N: I did so badly this time. I'm sure you guys started to yawn towards the end. By God, am I sorry that I ever wrote this. Not to mention it's longer than usual and that's always a headache. Plus I didn't mention at some parts who's speaking. –sighs sadly- I really want to end it here, but if you guys review well, I think about what I'll do.

PREVIEW:

"I have no regrets about the past. All I have is nothing to loose, no one to love, and no one to cry an ocean for me." He said to her as the rain suddenly fell like tears from the heavens. "It was raining that day as well." The mirage he saw at that instant was of Julia, a phantom from two dreams he had slept through where Faye stood. The situation was so similar, that he felt like he was repeating history all over again. He picked up a rose lying against the headstone. "Just a dream…" She looked at him. "Nothing to loose." He repeated what Faye had said one day ago. He never thought he had anything to loose, and for once he was wrong.


	4. Glass Graveyard Waltz

Author Notes: MUAHAHHAHA! I AM BACK! MUAHAHA- Okay. I doubt anyone was really expecting me to update anytime soon, anyway… So yeah. Enjoy. Sorry about the wait… but that doesn't really cut it, does it? ;; I really want to thank everyone for the reviews and support, though, and I know I didn't keep my word of updating. I cannot apologize enough.

Disclaimer: Don't own!

Chapter 4: Sunshine Rain

Spike woke up early and went outside the Bebop for the fresh morning air. It was still slightly dark out. "Figures…" Spike said with a shrug as he closed his eyes to think. What to do today… "I could go visit her…" His thoughts were interrupted when a tall shadow came over him. "Jet." The older man stood next to Spike and stared out at the sky. "So what've you been up to, Spike?" Walking away from Jet, Spike paused by the doorway and smirked. "My usual tricks, what else?" Putting and hand to his head, Jet smiled after him. "Some things never change…"

Faye sat in the Bebop's "living room", sipping a cup of coffee. Spike had to poke at this fact as he walked into the room. "Since when did you become so normal?" Faye retorted, "Since when did you give a damn?" Smirking his usual smirk, Spike jokingly patted her on the head and walked off as he did with Jet. "Still a kid, are we?" "Shut up, Fuzzy." Spike's eyebrow twitched. "Fuzzy. Great." Looking up from her cup, Faye stared at the man's dark green hair. "Trim that thing, you look like a mess!" Spike had a childish pout on his lips. "But, haven't I always? Isn't that what makes me, me?" "Lord knows, Spiegel." Faye replied. Spike went to his room, repeating her words in his head. 'Lord knows…'

The hallway from the living room to where the ships were held was a dark and cold one. Faye stood, leaning against the wall of the hall, looking off into space. She was waiting for Spike. Again. Like always, what was new? Always waiting. 3 years of it! Who would've guessed? It almost made Faye feel like there was a weight on her back. All the days spent waiting, all the days that soon became months, then years. He wasn't even dead. 'Well… shit,' Faye thought, 'I should be enjoying his presence while he's… still here…' 

Footsteps from the other end of the hall interrupted Faye's thoughts. Spike was walking down the hall, apparently going somewhere. Faye was about to push of the wall when Spike ruffled her hair again. "Mornin'.""…Spike…" Then he perked up again, and handed her a cigarette. "Aren't you the thoughtful one…" Spike grinned. "'Course." Frowning in disbelief, Faye questioned Spike's newfound kindness. "Where the hell'd this come from?" Spike shrugged. "I'm off today. Gonna check something."

Faye leaned against the wall again and lit her cigarette. "Where are you going?" Spike inhaled deeply then spoke. "Are you going to ask me where, next?" Faye scoffed. "No. Really, where're you going, Spike?" He frowned slightly and closed his eyes. "I'm going to see her… Faye."

Faye could barely hide her half-scowl. Spike noticed and said nothing of it, merely dropping his cigarette and crushing it beneath his foot. "…Can I come with you?" Faye asked in a half-shaken voice. Spike looked up. "Why not? Come on. Follow me." The two of them walked out to the hanger, and each got into their respective ships., Swordfish II and Redtail. And with that, the two took to the skies.

When Spike and Faye arrived at the cemetery, rain began to fall. Ironic. Gloomy altogether. Wonderful. Pulling her jacket closer to her neck, Faye shuddered as she glanced at several other graves. Spike walked on, a bleak look clouding his face. "So… what happened to her?" Faye asked. Spike stayed silent for a moment, then stopped without looking at Faye. "She was shot. By the Red Dragon men. The old order… the order that Vicious hadn't controlled."

Fate was cruel to Julia and Spike. Now it tortured them. Faye's shock was carried off by the wind that rolled in. The two continued to walk until finally they reached Julia's grave. A simple headstone, with several roses chiseled in. A bouquet of real roses lay in front of it. Fresh, too, Faye observed. Then Spike finally turned to her, the bleak look still covering his face.

1"I have no regrets about the past. All I have is nothing to loose, no one to love, and no one to cry an ocean for me." He said to her as the rain suddenly fell like tears from the heavens. "It was raining that day as well…" The mirage he saw at that instant was of Julia, a phantom from two dreams he had slept through where Faye stood. The situation was so similar, that he felt like he was repeating history all over again. He picked up a rose lying against the headstone. "Just a dream…" She looked at him. "Nothing to loose." He repeated what Faye had said one day ago. He never thought he had anything to loose, and for once he was wrong.

A flurry of bullets sent the two scattering across the graveyard. "Argh… Fuck! At a time like this!" Faye groaned. Pulling out her gun, she fired two shots at the nearest syndicate goon. Spike nearly charged the 5 syndicate guards that had followed them with pure hate. He jumped into the air, and sent one guard flying across the grass into a headstone. Dead for sure. The cracked headstone was good enough proof. Spike noticed and grinned like the devil. 'Sorry about your grave, but…'

Another flurry of shots were exchanged between a guard and Faye. The headstone she took cover behind was giving into the amount of bullets cracking it. Faye leaped out from the stone and rolled behind another, all the while firing at the guard. A whoosh of air barely 5 inches from Faye's head nearly scared her. She turned and looked behind her to see a throwing knife that lodged itself in the tree behind her.

"Thanks so very much!" Faye taunted as she tore the knife from the tree, and flung the knife at the guard. Dead center on his forehead. Faye didn't have long to celebrate as she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. Another throwing knife! She looked blurry eyed at the guard when she saw a blue flash swiftly take him down. "Spike!" she yelled, as she saw a guard rush at Spike from his side. Painfully ripping out the knife from her shoulder, she stood up and ran at the guard, snapping her hand backwards as an arc of blood splattered out from his throat.

Turning around rapidly in time to see another guard about to shoot Faye, Spike forcefully pushed her to the ground and shot the surprised man in the head. "You alright?" Faye groaned. "Perfectly fine, having a good day." Spike smirked self-consciously at her sarcasm and scanned the area, checking for more guards. "Let's get out of here before more of them catch up…" Spike helped Faye up and saw the wound to her shoulder. "Patching that up, then I'm getting a drink. Care to tag along?" Faye sighed. "Sure…" The two headed out, off into the distance…

Meanwhile, at the Red Dragon crime syndicate, Mars HQ…

A cloaked and masked figure screeched angrily. "You did not kill them? Nor did you find them! They are humans, not ghosts!" A syndicate guard shook slightly. "I'm… I'm sorry boss, they got away…" The mysterious figure roared. "SILENCE! I have had enough. You are no longer of any use to the New Order. Be gone from my sight!" The guard bowed quickly and walked hurriedly toward the exit. But the leader had other plans. "In fact…" he laughed coldly, "be gone from the planet!"

The guard dropped to the floor with a sickening thud. "Never show weakness in front of me…" The leader walked to the window overlooking Mars. "Spiegel, it's only beginning… I'll make a miserable wreck out of you… Turn you against those you love… Your move… Spike."

Preview: "I don't care! I'm not about to lose what I've just earned." Spike declared angrily. "Your plan won't work either…" the dark-green haired man smirked, "because I'm not you." Arlen nearly cracked with anger. "You cannot defy me, Spiegel! I am offering you a chance to be in power!" Spike laughed tauntingly. "I don't want it. Any of it. You'll never understand. I don't care what happens to the Red Dragon." Arlen's face contorted in fury. "The dragon will eat it's own tail, starting again, killing itself and becoming reborn… You cannot escape it…" That was the last thing Spike heard before he passed out on the wall.

A/N: Well… there you have it, folks… please send your thoughts…


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